The Only Song I Want to Hear
by pinetree13
Summary: Not your typical songfic. This is a compilation of one-shot songfics. They are all centered around River and the 11th Doctor. Rated T just in case. Please R&R! Suggestions are not only accepted, they're appreciated.
1. Over My Head

**I've wanted to write songfics a lot lately, so this story will be a series of one-shot songfics for River/11. If you know a song that you would like to see made into a story, send it in the reviews, and I'll be happy to give it a listen.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any of the songs.**

**Song: Over My Head (The Fray)**

River Song ran through alleyway after alleyway, winding around buildings as she attempted the men she knew were following her. She also knew that they would catch her. They had to.

For her, it had only been a few days since she had killed the Doctor. At least, these men _thought _she had killed the Doctor. They would hunt her down like an animal, try her, and then lock her up in Stormcage, just as he had said they would.

He had told her everything that would happen, yet she couldn't bring herself to accept it. To her, it didn't feel natural to simply submit to being thrown in prison. Not only that, but she would have to _stay _in prison. Sure, it wouldn't be very hard at all to break out, but she would have to come back.

The Doctor had made it very clear to her that this was _her _choice. However, she promised him she would do whatever it took to ensure his safety. She would be caught eventually, yes, but she would still continue running until that happened.

Rounding a corner, she found that the men were already there, blocking her way. Panic began to set in as she quickly turned on her heels and sprinted in the opposite direction.

River wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. A normal human would have given up nearly an hour ago, but she wasn't normal. Still, she could feel her body shutting down, telling her to give up. But "giving up" was one phrase she didn't know the meaning of, so she kept on sprinting.

Suddenly, a familiar sound graced her ears. A sound that meant someone had left the brakes on again. Nonetheless, she was absolutely thrilled to see the big blue box materialize only a hundred yards in front of her.

She ran towards it like an athlete finishing their race, collapsing just after making it inside. With her eyes closed, she could hear the sound of the men behind her shouting as the door was slammed in their faces.

Now there was a pair of strong hands under her, hoisting her up. Upon opening her eyes, she saw the man for whom all of this running was done. Gently, he set her on her feet.

The Doctor looked at her as if he was trying to figure out all the secrets that she held. "River, why were you running from them? You know that they won't hurt you. All they'll do is send you to Stormcage."

River couldn't take this anymore. She broke down into tears. "I can't do this."

The Doctor was completely stunned. He had never heard her speak with so much fear in her voice before. "You just have to trust me. I'll make sure that nothing happens to you. Stormcage really isn't that bad. You'll see me all the time," he said, trying to sound encouraging.

"It's just too much," she explained. "How am I supposed to believe that nothing will happen when they show up at my door with an army? Every single one of them had their guns pointed at me. I couldn't take it, so I ran."

Now he understood. He mentally slapped himself for not realizing this sooner. River was young now, very young. Being chased down by an army for hours would certainly place a lot of pressure on someone, especially someone who may or may not even trust him completely. She had every right to be terrified.

"River," he said gently, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly, "you don't have to do this if you don't want to. I realize it's too much for me to possibly ask."

For a moment, a look of indecision crossed her face. However, it was only a moment, as River almost immediately answered. "I'll do it. But not for them," she said, shooting a dirty glance in the direction of the door, "for you."

The Doctor's mind raced with a million possible responses, but instead, all he said was, "Wait here a moment."

River watched in surprise as he opened the door and walked out into the army that stood waiting outside.

He walked right up to the man who stood at the front, appearing to be the leader. "Good evening," the Doctor said in his best attempt at not slapping the man in the face. "I noticed you've been chasing my friend, River Song, around for a while, so I thought I might ask why."

The man's jaw was dropped slightly as he stared at the man who should be dead. "We . . . um, were supposed to arrest her for the murder of the Doctor."

He smiled at the man, who looked as though he'd seen a ghost. "Oh, yes, that's right. But there's just one thing wrong with your little plan, because I'm not dead."

Blushing, the man turned around and muttered something along the lines of, "We'll just be leaving, then."

"Wait, where do you think you're going?" the Doctor called to them. The man in charge looked slightly afraid and was just hoping that the Doctor wouldn't punish him. "Don't worry you're not in trouble," he said, seeing the man's expression. "I just have a favor to ask. You see, I'm not dead, but I need people to think I am. So if you wouldn't mind, I need you to take River to Stormcage to make the story more believable."

The man nodded, so the Doctor reentered the TARDIS, telling the man not to go anywhere. Once inside, he made his way over to River. He looked straight into her eyes as he spoke. "I need you to be brave now. I need you to tell me now if you really want to go through with this." She gave a determined nod, causing him to smile at her proudly. "Well, then, I guess this is goodbye."

Before he could say anything else, she pulled him into a long, lingering kiss. When they broke apart, River asked, "Will you visit often?"

"All the time." He would honestly try his hardest to keep this promise.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door, and the two of them stepped out to face the army. The Doctor hugged River one last time before handing her over to the man he had spoken to earlier.

Before leaving, the Doctor gave the man one last warning. "If you tell anyone I'm alive or even lay a _finger_ on her, you can expect to see me soon."

**Reviews are lovely.**


	2. Set Fire to the Rain

**Thank you to 'Sylva Dax' for convincing me that this story isn't total garbage.**

**Disclaimer: Neither Doctor Who nor any of the songs belong to me. Unfortunately.**

**Song: Set Fire to the Rain (Adele). Suggested by: Sylva Dax**

River sat alone in her flat on a Saturday night in summer, the windows open to welcome the warm breeze that softly blew outside. She had just changed into her nightgown, hoping to get to sleep early tonight, since the night before had been very late and spent at a bar.

The Doctor hadn't come for a little over a week. That was fine. River wouldn't start to worry until at least a month had passed. As much as she hated being away from him, she understood that he was often preoccupied by important things like saving the universe, for example.

All of a sudden, there was a knock at her door. River rolled her eyes, assuming that it was just another person trying to sell her something. She made her way to her bedroom. After all, the last thing she wanted to do was answer the door in her nightgown.

Before she could reach her bedroom, though, the knocking became louder and more persistent. "Wow," she muttered to herself. "They must really be desperate for sales."

She was about to turn around to continue in her pursuit of the bedroom, when she heard a familiar voice shout from behind the door. "River Song, I know you're home! I can see the lights on. If you don't open the door, I'll just have to use my sonic."

Upon hearing his voice, she rushed to unlock the door, stumbling slightly in her haste. Finally, though, she managed to get the door opened, leaning against the doorframe. "Hello, Sweetie."

"Hi, honey, I'm home," the Doctor answered, stepping into her flat.

River studied his face, feeling that something wasn't quite right. "When are we for you?" she asked.

"Right after Lake Silencio the second time," he answered. River tried to hide her disappointment, swallowing the lump that had risen in her throat. "What about you?"

She answered with the only thing she could manage to say. "Spoilers." Mentally, she composed herself before trying to sound unconcerned. "So we're married?"

A broad smile broke out across his face. "You could even say that this is our honeymoon."

As he wrapped his arms around her, River sealed their lips to avoid letting him see just how much his words affected her. After all, his firsts were her lasts. At the thought of this, silent tears began to glide down her cheeks.

The Doctor pulled back as he noticed this. "River what's wrong?" he asked, a look of concern plastered on his face.

She considered lying to him, but she couldn't bring herself to do that. But she couldn't tell him the truth either, so all she said was, "Oh, shut up."

This seemed to be a good enough answer for him, as he didn't press the matter. Now he gently kissed away the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Soon, though, she brought his lips back to hers.

River had the vague impression that they were moving, but she wasn't exactly sure where until she looked around to see her bedroom. The Doctor began to pull her towards the bed, but she broke away.

The look on his face was hurt. "River?"

She looked back at him, worry and fear evident. "Doctor, is this your first time with me?"

His face showed his confusion. "Yes, of course. Why?"

She supposed there wouldn't be any harm in telling him something he already knew, just forgot, so she said, "Your firsts are my lasts." This was barely above a whisper.

The Doctor's eyes widened as he understood. "Oh." His mind reeled as he tried to come up with something to calm her down. "Time can be rewritten. I'll come back for you. This doesn't have to be the last time."

River shook her head. "There's a last time for everything. As much as I wish this wasn't it, I know it has to be. Plus, you have lots of time with me ahead of you. This is just the beginning for you."

He knew he couldn't argue with her, so his only reply was, "Then let's make the most of it."

**Got a song that you would like to see as a story? Send it in the reviews. Even if you don't, reviews still make me very happy.**


	3. You Will Leave a Mark

**Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! I love the suggestions (because so far, I've known every song suggested). You people have awesome taste in music. Oh, and I think I forgot to mention that the title comes from the song 'Soul Meets Body' by Deathcab for Cutie.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any of the songs, although in my head I'm married to the lead singer of AFI. **

**Song: You Will Leave a Mark (A Silent Film). Suggested by: TruffleHead**

River trekked up the side of the rocky cliff as she continued her archaeological dig. She had been searching this area for days, hoping to come across some evidence that there was once an alien colony here.

So far, though, her efforts had been fruitless. Today was her final day of searching, and it was almost over. However, now she was near the top of one of the many mountainous cliffs in the area, so she decided that her final dig would be at the top. After that, she would just return home empty-handed.

It was near sunset now, and as she turned a stony corner, she caught sight of her destination. Her heart started racing with excitement, though it wasn't the rocky ledge that caused this. It was the man standing on it.

"Doctor!" she called, running towards him. But he didn't move, only continued staring down at whatever laid below. Now she slowed her pace, taking hesitant steps toward him. "Doctor?" she asked, more cautiously this time.

Once again, he said nothing. Concerned, River walked forward to see what exactly he was staring at. The sight that greeted her was one that filled her with pain. Down below, what was once a small village had been reduced to ashes. Smoke rose from the remains, evidence of the fire that had destroyed it.

But it got worse.

Bodies were strewn among the rubble, many burnt beyond recognition, all wearing looks of utter despair.

In the distance, River could see some alien ship retreating to the stars, an obvious indication of who was to blame for this carnage.

River opened her mouth to speak, but the Doctor began first. "It was supposed to be me." She looked at him in surprise, astounded by this completely uncharacteristic remark. "The Cybermen came here to kill me, not them." His voice was eerily calm.

She knew how much things like this always hurt him, so she wanted to calm him down before it was too late. "It wasn't your fault."

Now he turned to face her, his features a mix of shock and outrage. "Not my fault? I should have saved them! They were counting on me to save them, and I let them down!"

"It would have been worse if you weren't here. They could have taken over the whole region."

He shook his head. "If I wasn't here, none of this would have happened. They were following _me._" Now he sighed, a sound of defeat. "I should be the one down there, lying in the ashes. If I can't even save a tiny village, then what is the point of me?"

River had never heard him speak this way. Sure, she'd seen him depressed about problems like this before, but it had never been this bad. She grabbed his shoulders now, forcing him to face her. "Without you, the entire universe would be in chaos. You're the reason there's even an Earth to save." Her voice was stern. Looking into his eyes, she could see her words starting to sink in, yet a shadow of a doubt still lurked in the back of his mind, and River could see this.

"But what if that's not true?" he asked. "What if the world would be fine anyway and all I do is make it worse? What if Earth is better off without me?" His words were spoken with a broken voice, a voice that River had never heard before. Tears hung in his eyes, but refused to fall.

River spoke in a whisper now, saying the only thing that she thought could help. "If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead. The Silence would have killed me."

His eyes widened slightly as he realized that she was right. Now his face was a mask of indecision as he tried to decide what his next move should be. As he did so, he couldn't help but dwell on River's words. _If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead._ These words raced around and around in his head, filling up his mind and causing him to cringe. He couldn't stand the thought of a life without her.

So now he gave up on dwelling on the losses he couldn't help, and instead drew his attention to the one person who could always save him from himself.

Slowly, he leaned his head down to brush his lips over hers. River couldn't take it anymore. After all she had been on a dig for days without him. So now she brought her hands up behind his head, pulling him closer to kiss him properly.

The Doctor happily accepted, wrapping his arms around her waist as if to prevent her from ever leaving. For that moment, that one moment, they could forget all they'd done, all the losses. In that moment, they only had to save each other.

**Reviews literally make my day. Let me know if you have a song to suggest too.**


	4. Love Like Winter

**If you suggested a song, don't worry, I just had to do this song because I'm obsessed with the band, and, well, it's my favorite song. I promise to do a suggestion next chapter. Huge thanks to 'TruffleHead', who has an amazing taste in music.**

**Disclaimer: As much as I'd absolutely **_**love **_**to, I don't own Doctor Who or any of the songs.**

**Song: Love Like Winter (AFI)**

The Doctor stood near a frozen lake in the middle of a forest, surrounded by lightly falling snow. Normally, this wouldn't exactly be his idea of a perfect date destination, but he had promised River somewhere cold, as their last trip had accidentally landed them on a desert planet.

But if she wanted somewhere cold, this was the place to be. The entire planet was covered in layers of ice and snow. The only life that sprang from it was the tree-like structures surrounding them. Of course, they weren't actually trees. It was far too cold for that. But if you didn't already know this, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

River was practically dancing through the forest, enjoying the falling snow. Unlike the Doctor, she absolutely loved it here. He was quite content to stand next to the frozen lake and shiver in his oversized coat.

So now River danced over to him, and he couldn't help but notice just how beautiful she looked with the snow clinging to her hair. "What's wrong?" she asked sarcastically. "You're not afraid of a little snow are you?"

He puffed out his chest, trying (but failing) to look tough. "Of course I'm not. I fight aliens for a living. I think I can handle a bit of snow. It's just a little too cold for my liking, that's all."

She smiled as she walked closer and closer to him, until their faces were mere inches away. Pulling him in for a kiss, she murmured something against his mouth. "Warmer now?"

He cleared his throat as he pulled away. "Much better, thanks."

She gave him another small smile before dancing back into the forest. The Doctor stared at her as she went, simply perplexed. He was baffled as to how she could possibly be having so much fun in a place that was so cold.

Still, he watched her dance. He watched as her breath was visible in little frozen whisps, quickly dissipating into the air around her. He watched as she opened her arms, welcoming the falling snow as it landed upon her face, her hair, her tongue. Now he found himself watching as the little flecks of white made their way from the sky to land softly upon the ground.

The Doctor got so preoccupied in watching the falling snow, that he hadn't noticed that River was no longer visible. He turned, looking all around him to make sure she hadn't just moved behind him. However, she was nowhere to be seen. "River?" he called hesitantly. No reply.

"River?" he called again. "River, this isn't funny anymore. Come out now." Now he began making his way around the frozen lake to find her. He looked behind the snow banks and trees, but she just wasn't there.

Suddenly, he heard a faint giggle from somewhere off to the side. "River?" The Doctor turned to look in the direction the sound had come from. However, the only thing he was able to catch a glimpse of was the end of a scarf as its owner disappeared deeper into the forest.

The Doctor wasted no time in pursuing this clue, as it would almost certainly lead him to River. The scarved figure had retreated behind a rather large snow bank, out of sight. The Doctor ran to the bank to find that whoever had been there just a moment ago was gone now.

He scratched his head. There was no way someone could just _disappear _so quickly. Unless . . . . The Doctor closed his eyes, bracing himself for what he knew was coming.

He was knocked to the ground from behind, his face pressing into the snow. Whoever had tackled him was now straddling him, pinning him to the ground. Now the person leaned down to whisper something in his ear. "See, snow is very fun."

"What . . . River?" He was shocked to hear her voice. "What are you doing?" Now he turned over so that his face was no longer buried in snow. As he did so, he noticed the scarf draped around her neck. It was the same one he had seen retreating behind the snow bank. "Wait, did you just do all this so you could cover me in snow."

River wore a look of mock innocence. "Who, me? No, of _course _not!" She leaned down to kiss him.

As she did, the Doctor took this opportunity to turn the tables, pinning her into the snow. "Not so warm now, is it?" he asked smiling, his face flushed. Now he leaned in so that his lips didn't quite touch hers, knowing that this would drive her insane.

Before the Doctor had time to react, River had freed one of her arms, and pulled his lips into hers. She pulled back just long enough to whisper, "I'm not complaining."

**Review? Hey, that sounds like a great idea!**


	5. We Are Young

**As always, I'm glad to take suggestions. Or else you'll end up being subjected to my random taste in music. :o I'm going to have to get creative on this one, because if I wrote it straightforward, it would be almost exactly like one of my one-shots called 'Trust Me'.**

**Disclaimer: Doctor Who is still not mine, unfortunately. Oh, and neither is the song.**

**Song: We Are Young (fun.) Suggested by: Citizenofwhoville123**

"So where would you like to go this time?" the Doctor asked, pausing in his rotation of the console to address River.

She considered this for a moment. Several different responses came to mind: Paris, Egypt, Rome. But for some reason, she just wasn't in the mood for a grand adventure. After all, they went on those all the time. In fact, they practically never stopped.

So she answered the Doctor's question with one of the most relaxing places she could think of, in her opinion. "How about we skip the excitement and just visit a bar somewhere on Earth?"

He looked at her incredulously, shock mixing with disgust. "A _bar?_ I can take you anywhere in time and space, and you want to go to a _bar?_" She nodded, trying not to look too amused with his reaction. "River, you know what I think of alcohol."

She rolled her eyes. He had a point. Every time he was given any sort of alcoholic beverage in this regeneration, he would just spit it right back out again. "Well then don't order anything. Look, you asked me where I wanted to go, and I told you. So are we going to a bar or not?"

Reluctantly, the Doctor turned around to start punching in the coordinates, all the time muttering under his breath like a disappointed child. River couldn't help but smirk. Sometimes she had absolutely no idea how he could possibly be a thousand years old.

Soon, however, they landed outside a dingy-looking pub somewhere in the twenty-first century. River couldn't exactly tell _where_ they were, though, because it was fairly late at night here, darkness shrouding the scenery.

Stepping inside, the two noticed that the pub wasn't actually very crowded. There were a few people sitting at tables here and there, but the bar in the front was nearly empty. With River leading the way, the couple sat down to look at the menu.

Suddenly, the Doctor's eyes grew wide. He tapped River on the arm to inform her of his latest find. "Did you know that they have a drink called a _screwdriver?_"

River stifled a giggle. "Yes, Sweetie, but I don't think it would be a very good idea to let you drink anything here."

He crossed his arms, practically pouting. "I'm over a thousand years old. I think I can handle it."

She shrugged. "Okay, suit yourself."

They gave their orders to the bartender, and a few moments later, they had their drinks. The Doctor looked his over a few times, pondering now if this was as good of an idea as he thought it was. "Oh well," he thought. "Geronimo."

He took one sip before attempting to spit it out. However, River gave him a look that said a spit-take probably wouldn't be a very good idea at the moment, so he forced himself to swallow it. In retrospect, that probably wasn't the best idea either, as he was now turning a sickly green.

"Sweetie, are you okay?"

The Doctor nodded slightly before running off to the restroom. He must have been in there for ten minutes, sticking his mouth under the faucet in an attempt to wash all taste of that horrible drink from his mouth. Finally, though, he decided that he should probably come out before River began to worry.

However, when he did finally decide to come out, he noticed that his seat had been taken. There was another man sitting in his seat, talking to River. The way he slicked his hair back and leaned against the bar in his leather jacket told the Doctor that he was obviously trying to look cool. And for some reason, it seemed to be working. River appeared to actually be _enjoying _this conversation.

So now the Doctor ran a hand through his hair, straightened his bowtie, and pulled on the lapels of his tweed before walking over to where the man sat, next to River.

"I believe that was my seat," the Doctor told him, trying to look at least a little tough.

The man took a swig of his drink before answering. "Maybe it _was _your seat, but it's mine now."

For a moment, the Doctor just stood there, opening and closing his mouth while rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, unsure what to say. Finally, an idea began to take root in his mind. "Do you know who I am?"

The man looked him up and down. "A history teacher?"

The Doctor smiled as politely as he could before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his psychic paper, holding it up.

The man looked back and forth from the Doctor to the paper a few times, as if trying to ascertain that the paper was real. Finally, he got up and dropped to his knees. "I am so sorry, your majesty. I honestly had no idea!"

The Doctor stuffed the paper back into his pocket. "Oh, it's not your fault. You didn't know. But right now you might want to get out of here." Scrambling to get up, the man kept uttering apologies all the way out the door.

The Doctor laughed as he watched him go before turning to River. He had been about to ask her about that man, but paused as he noticed what sat before her on the counter. Several empty cups littered the space in front of where she sat.

"River!" he exclaimed. "I was gone for ten minutes! How is that possible?"

She smiled drunkenly. "Talking to that guy made me want to drink a little more." At her own comment, River began to laugh uncontrollably, attracting an angry glance from the bartender.

The Doctor took her hand, pulling her to her feet. "I think we should probably go now." But the minute River's feet hit the ground, he realized that she was too drunk to walk in a straight line, so he resorted to picking her up, sweeping her into his arms.

The TARDIS wasn't parked very far away at all, but by the time the Doctor walked inside, River had fallen asleep in his arms. He smiled at her, kissing her forehead lovingly. As he carried her to their bedroom, he whispered something to her, even though she probably wouldn't hear him. "We are definitely never going to a bar ever again."

**Yeah, I know this one wasn't very fluffy. But I'm pretty sure the next one will be. If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know. And review. Reviews are cool.**


	6. What You Know

**Thanks to everyone who's reviewed or is taking the time to read these. I have to admit, this song kind of stumped me as far as writing goes. But I think this works.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any of the songs, but I do own a pretty good taste in music, in my opinion.**

**Song: What You Know (Two Door Cinema Club). Suggested by: TruffleHead**

River Song sat on her cot in Stormcage, flipping through the pages of her diary. Whenever she wasn't off adventuring with the Doctor or writing new entries, she loved to just sit and relive the old memories that were captured in its pages.

However, her daydreaming was cut short by a comfortingly familiar sound coming from the hallway. She looked up hopefully to find the TARDIS parked right outside her cell. As glad as she was that he was here, this was rather strange. After all, the Doctor had just visited the day before.

He poked his head out of the door, checking that he hadn't landed in the wrong place . . . again. Seeing that this was indeed the Stormcage Containment Facility, he hopped out, sonicked the lock, and entered River's cell, smiling like an idiot.

"Hello, Sweetie," she called in her usual tone.

The Doctor smirked as he gave his usual answer. "Hi, honey, I'm home."

"And what sort of time do you call this?" There generic greetings always went back and forth like this. By now, they both thought of it as a sort of game.

He moved closer to her now, so that they only stood inches away from each other. "I don't even get a 'hello' kiss?" he asked, pretending to sound upset.

River leaned in just enough that her lips barely grazed his. "Diaries first, Sweetie. Your rules, not mine."

The Doctor huffed in annoyance as he reached into his pocket to pull out his own diary. "So where are we, then?"

River flipped a couple of pages before answering. "Well the last thing we did together from my point of view was that planet with four suns." The Doctor just stared at her blankly. As he did, she felt a pang of sadness. She forced down the feeling, though, as they had only gone to this planet yesterday, so she shouldn't be surprised that this was a different version.

"Okay, obviously that's a little too late. How about the winter planet, the one with the huge frozen lake?" But this only elicited another blank stare from the Doctor. He watched her facial expressions as she listed off these two events. With each blank stare from him, he could tell that she was getting more and more upset, even if she was trying to hide it.

So the next time she listed an event—the third time—he decided to lie. He hated to lie to her of all people, but he hated seeing her upset even more. And when she asked if he had been to Paris in the thirtieth century, he tried to look as enthusiastic as he could. "Oh, yes, Paris! It's quite lovely in that century. That was just yesterday for me."

Her face lit up instantly. Apparently, if this had been true, their timelines actually wouldn't have been that far off. She looked so happy that he just couldn't let her find out that he was a younger version. He wasn't quite sure how his future self acted, but he was pretty sure that he was more comfortable around River.

So now he took her hand and pulled her in for a kiss. He usually wasn't this straightforward, but he knew that he could be someday. And River didn't act like this was strange at all. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. He seemed to be pretty good at pretending to be older than he was.

River broke away from him now, as she was finally aware of the blaring sirens going off around them. The Doctor wasn't exactly sure how long they had been going off. He hadn't heard them until now. With a snap of his fingers, he opened the TARDIS doors, ushering River inside.

The Doctor bounded up the stairs to the console, not punching in coordinates, just sending them into the time vortex. Once he was done with this, he turned to find River standing next to him. "Doctor, what's wrong? You seem more reserved than usual."

He mentally kicked himself. He had been doing so well just a few minutes ago. So now he just smiled sarcastically, placed his hands on her hips, and said, "Reserved? Me? I don't know what you're talking about." At that, he kissed her more roughly than usual.

For a while, River gave into him, kissing him hungrily. However, it wasn't long before she began to laugh. She just couldn't help it.

The Doctor pulled back, thoroughly confused. "River? What is it, why are you laughing?"

"I'm laughing at you," she answered. "Doctor, you can give it up. I'm only messing with you. I know you're younger than you said you were."

He was totally shocked. It took a while for his mouth to form the right words to respond to something like this. "What . . . how? I didn't . . . . How did you possibly figure that out? I thought I was pretty convincing."

River laughed again at his pouty expression. "I can always tell. I know you too well."

The Doctor hung his head in disappointment. "River, I'm sorry. I just didn't want to disappoint you. I know I'm not the right version of myself. Not yet, at least."

Now he walked up to the console again, pressing buttons and putting in coordinates. "Where are we going?" River asked.

"Stormcage," he answered, not looking at her. "Don't worry; I'll go visit you at a time when I'll be more . . . current."

As he reached to pull the final levers that would send them off to their destination, River grabbed his wrists, causing him to pause. As he looked up at her, she saw confusion through the tears that currently fogged up his eyes. "Doctor, I'm not going anywhere. I don't care if you are young, you're still _my _Doctor. You always will be. We don't always meet in the right order, but I cherish the days I can be with you, no matter how old you are."

Slowly, he dropped his hands from the levers. But River didn't release his wrists just yet. First, she pulled him in for a long kiss. As soon as she let go of his wrists, he brought his hands up to pull her closer, so that there was no longer any space between them. "Doctor, what are you doing? I already know you aren't the future version. You don't have to pretend anymore."

He stopped peppering kisses onto her neck just long enough to answer. "I know. But I was sort of enjoying it."

**Please take a few seconds to review. And if you have any song suggestions, those would be good too.**


	7. Okay, I Feel Better Now

**I'm back! So now updates should be a little more regular. The suggestion for this song comes from a friend of mine whom I am trying to convert into an AFI addict like myself. They're just so addictive!**

**Disclaimer: I own only the writing, not the show or the song.**

**Song: Okay, I Feel Better Now (AFI). Suggested by: 'Phoebe Cloud'**

For the first time in a very long while, the Doctor found himself just standing against the console, stationary. This didn't happen very often at all, but the fact was, he hadn't been traveling with anyone lately. He hadn't had to visit far off planets simply to impress someone as he usually did.

It was silly. After all he had a TARDIS. He could travel wherever he wanted to, _when_ever he wanted to. Yet he still managed to succumb to boredom. Sighing, the Doctor slumped further onto the console, accidentally pressing a button or two as he did so.

However, he only realized his mistake once the sound of the brakes alerted him to the fact that they had landed somewhere. A quick glance at the monitor told him that he had landed in Stormcage.

Now he stood up straight, adjusting his bowtie. Even though he hadn't exactly intended to land here, he now realized that this was exactly where he needed to go. Sexy always knew. After all, he hadn't seen River in far too long. In his excitement, he didn't even bother to check the time or date, on which he had landed, simply plucked his tweed, ran a hand through his floppy brown hair, and pushed open the doors.

As usual, River was sitting on her cot, flipping through the pages of her diary. She wasn't writing this time, though, which told him that he hadn't visited recently.

"Hi, honey. I'm home," he called casually as he leaned against the bars of her cell.

She looked up for a brief moment before returning to her diary, trying to hide the excitement that was forcing its way onto her face. "And what sort of time do you call this?"

Now the Doctor pulled the sonic out of his pocket and began to fiddle with it, flipping it in the air and catching it again. "Truthfully, I was getting lonely so I just thought I'd drop by and say hello."

"You mean you came here by accident," River remarked, smirking at him over her book.

The Doctor's jaw fell. "How did you . . . Oh, fine! Yes, it was an accident. But are you coming or not?"

She nodded towards his screwdriver. "You'll have to unlock the cell first, Sweetie."

He smiled as he rolled his eyes, sonicking the lock nonetheless. As soon as he did so, she was in his arms before he even had time to put his screwdriver away. Yes, it had definitely been too long. So now he pressed his lips to hers and pulled her back until they were in the TARDIS, safe from any guards that might be patrolling the prison.

Once inside, the Doctor reluctantly pulled away. "So where are we for you?"

He could see a small shadow pass through her eyes, but whatever it was it was gone as quickly as it had come. "Just after Lake Silencio for the first time."

Now he understood. "How are you?" he asked gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She smiled. "I'm fine." Oh, she was a good liar. He knew she was. But after all he had been through with her, he was now an expert at separating fact from fiction. He could tell that no matter what she said, she was absolutely, definitely _not _fine.

But he didn't call her out. He looked into her eyes for a few more seconds, waiting to see if she would reveal the truth, but it didn't come. So instead, the Doctor took to his usual orbit around the console as he punched in the coordinates for their next destination.

As soon as they landed, River rushed to open the doors. It astonished the Doctor to think of how new all of this still was for her. She threw open the doors with the enthusiasm of a small child opening a Christmas present.

But it was what she saw that took her breath away. Here it was night. They had landed on a grassy plateau at the top of a mountain that overlooked miles of rolling hills below it, a small stream winding its way over the landscape. But the most marvelous thing was the sky. It was lit up with millions of stars shining from various points in the universe, all somehow visible at the top of this grassy mountain. The sky alone gave the impression that this was not earth.

River was so preoccupied by taking in the scenery that she didn't even notice when the Doctor came up behind her and draped his arm over her shoulders. Silently, they walked to the edge of the mountain and lay down in the long grass as a cool breeze rustled through their hair.

For the longest time, they just lay there. Neither of them said anything, only looked out at the brightly twinkling stars above them. Finally, the Doctor decided to sneak a glance at River, if for no other reason than to know that she was okay.

Once he did, though, he noticed how the light of the stars reflected off a long streak that ran down her cheeks. As the Doctor reached out to touch her face, he found that these streaks were wet, leading a trail from her eyes.

"River, what's wrong?" he asked, even though he was sure that he already knew.

"Nothing." She was so stubborn. Even when he could see her crying or feel the tears, she would tell him that everything was fine, pretend as if her heart wasn't breaking.

Normally, he found her stubbornness to be rather entertaining, so he wouldn't say anything. However, it was different now. Now she was crying, and that was something that he just couldn't take. After all, River Song rarely cried.

So now he reached over to wrap his arms around her, pulling her close to him. She buried her head in his chest, still reluctant to allow him to see her cry. Yes, she knew that she hadn't actually killed him. She knew that she had only shot a robot, but that didn't change the fact that she had _seen _him die, regardless of if it was actually him or not. The experience had just been a little too real, and that's what scared her most of all.

The Doctor knew this. He always knew. He had seen the look on her face as she shot him, and he also knew that she wasn't _that _good of an actress. The pain she had felt had been real, and that was something that he had never had a chance to apologize for.

So now he leaned down to whisper in her ear the words he had never been able to say. "River, I know you're hurt, and I know how it feels. You don't have to pretend around me. In my timeline, I've seen you cry many times. This isn't the first. Spoilers." He gave a short laugh at this. "But the point is I'm not dead. I know it looked that way, but I'm still here, and I don't plan on leaving. In fact, I'm not going anywhere."

Hesitantly, River maneuvered her head so that she was looking up at him. "It just looked so real." Her words were mouthed, quieter than a whisper.

He returned her comment with a sad smile. "Looks can be deceiving."

**Please take a second or two to leave a review and tell me what you think. Song ideas are also greatly appreciated. Just as a side note, I think this is the first time I actually used a lyric or two in the actual story. Did anyone catch which ones?**


	8. A Bad Dream

**Shameless plug: Some of my writing is now being featured on a website run by a friend of mine. So I'm doing promo for promo. It's an amazing website full of all sorts of random interesting things, so if you'd like the link, feel free to send me a PM or ask in a review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any songs, but if someone would like to send me AFI for my birthday, I wouldn't object.**

**Song: A Bad Dream (Keane). Suggested by: Connie**

The Doctor woke up in his bedroom, alone. At first, he found this rather strange, since he usually just fell asleep on the floor of the console room whenever he got tired. Being a Time Lord, he needed much less sleep than humans, so it was rather unusual that he was in here at all, especially when he was by himself.

As his consciousness began to awake, the Doctor was vaguely aware of a strange feeling nagging at the back of his mind. It took him a while to figure out what it was, but soon he discovered that the origin of this feeling came from a dream he had had the night before.

But for some reason he just couldn't remember what the dream was about. _Concentrate, _he thought. _You have to concentrate or else the dream will slip away._ Usually, he wasn't this persistent in pursuing things that shouldn't matter, but something was telling him that this particular dream was _very _important and shouldn't just be ignored.

After several minutes of concentration, he was able to grasp the first piece of the puzzle. _River! It had something to do with River!_ This realization was all it took to shed light on the rest of the dream. But as the Doctor recalled all of what had happened, his face paled.

He had dreamt of the Singing Towers. He had taken River there for the last time, crying as he held back the most important thing he could never tell her. River had seen him crying, but she hadn't known why. She'd just assumed he was an emotional old man. She hadn't known . . . .

The Doctor cut off the dream here. He couldn't take it anymore. This time, the nightmare had just been a little too real for him, and he wouldn't let it go on any longer. So now he got out of bed and pulled on his clothes, making his way to the TARDIS kitchen for some breakfast.

As he walked, he subconsciously shoved his hands into his pockets. Once he did, though, he felt something that hadn't been there before. Closing his grip around it, he brought it out for inspection.

It was River's Alpha Mason gun. But what was that doing there? That was her favorite gun; there was no way she would just _leave _it in his pocket. The nagging that continued in the back of his head reminded him of something about his dream. River had given him her Alpha in exchange for a screwdriver and squareness gun. The Doctor shook his head. This was merely a coincidence. After all, that was only a dream.

He set the gun on the kitchen counter, but as soon as he entered the room, he discovered that he wasn't really hungry anymore. For a moment all he could do was stand there, eyes fixed on the Alpha, unable to tear away. Sighing deeply, the Doctor realized that the only way to calm his nerves was to make sure that both his extra screwdriver and squareness gun were still safely in the cabinet where he had left them last.

So now he made his way back to the console room, stopping at a small adjoining room off to the side. In this room was a small cabinet that held all kinds of assorted knick knacks that he had placed there over the years. This was where the objects would be. In fact, he distinctly remembered putting them in there.

However, the Doctor paused before opening the cabinet. Admittedly, he was afraid of what he would find. After all, the contents of this cabinet (or lack thereof) had the potential to ruin his life. But eventually, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened it.

The first thing he saw was a pile of random objects. There were quite a few of them, so it was entirely possible that the things he was looking for were buried deep underneath them. But at first glance, they were nowhere to be found. He didn't let this discourage him, though. Carefully, he began removing the contents of the cabinet, sorting through everything to make sure there was nothing he had missed. Within five minutes, though, the cabinet was empty, and the Doctor was forced to come to grips with the fact that neither the screwdriver no the squareness gun had been in there.

The Doctor sank to his knees, every second of that incredibly vivid dream flying at him with all its strength. Now he saw why the gun had been in his pocket, why he had woken up in his bed, and why there had been a nagging sensation in the back of his head.

No matter how much he wanted to deny it, the night at the Singing Towers hadn't been a dream. It was real, and it was last night.

This realization flooded the Doctor with a deluge of mixed emotions. Why had he taken her there in the first place? Why hadn't he tried to stop her? He hated himself for leading her to her death, but in the end, anger was overcome by sorrow. River was gone.

But why hadn't he run? He always ran; he always would run; he couldn't stop. He should have taken River with him, let her run alongside him. Better yet, he should have stood his ground and fought. After all, wasn't he the one who had said, "Time isn't the boss of you"?

But it was. No matter how much he hated to admit it, time always got the better of him eventually. He could have so many people travel with him, but rarely did he truly fall in love with one of them. Not only that, he had _married _her! But he couldn't run forever. In the end, he always ended up alone. As Amy had put it, "The boy and his box, long after the rest of us have gone."

Now as he sat there on the cold hard floor, he could only face facts. River was gone, and it was his fault.

**Please take a moment to leave a review and/or song suggestion. And if you'd like a better idea of what the night before was like, I suggest checking out my two-shot, 'Singing Towers'.**


	9. Never Gonna Give You Up

**Normally, this song wouldn't exactly be my 'style', but there needed to be a break in the angst. And I was laughing too hard to reject the idea. For this one, both the song and story ideas came from Phoebe Cloud.**

**Disclaimer: Doctor Who belongs to the BBC, and the songs to their respective owners.**

**Song: Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley) Suggested by: Phoebe Cloud**

Truthfully, the Doctor had landed at Stormcage for a reason. He knew that this version of River must still be fairly young, and he just needed to tell her something, something important that he didn't say nearly enough. Tonight he would be completely serious and honest.

He should have known by now that River was never one to go according to plans. Usually when he picked her up, one of the first things he'd ask her is where she wanted to go. Tonight, he had just planned on sending them into the vortex for a while, but of course, River had her own ideas.

"Really? You want to go _horseback riding?_" the Doctor asked, trying to inconspicuously lure her away from the idea. Instead, she nodded enthusiastically. "Why?"

"Well, honestly, I've always wanted to try it. Plus, lately there's been this one guard who never shuts up about it." Her mind seemed to be set, and when that happened, he'd never be able to talk her out of it.

So the Doctor put in the coordinates and sent them to an Earth ranch that held all kinds of horses. Using his psychic paper, the he was easily able to borrow a couple of horses from the owner.

River chose the one that was a dazzling white, jumping in the saddle before the Doctor had a chance to claim it. He was left with a sort of brownish horse that didn't look too enthusiastic at all to be there. It took him about ten minutes to even figure out how to mount the horse, sending River into a fit of laughs.

Finally, though, he sat atop the saddle, glaring at River as she continued to snigger at his clumsiness. With a slight nudge of their heels, the two of them were off. By looking at them, you would never guess that River had never been on one of these creatures before. The Doctor, however, was swaying precariously, doing whatever he could just to keep from falling off.

They trotted in silence for a while before she finally asked, "So what did you come for this time, Doctor? I know you always have a reason."

This was it; this was his chance. He steadied himself as best he could before answering. "Actually, I . . . came to talk to you."

River was confused by this sudden change in his disposition. Earlier, he had been his normal clumsy self, and now here he was, looking as if he had something serious on his mind. "What is it, Sweetie?" she asked, trying to be as serious as he was.

"I wanted to tell you that I . . ." Unfortunately for the Doctor, his horse gave a small jolt at this moment, causing him to fall off the side, as he was no longer paying attention to holding on.

No matter how serious he had been, River couldn't help but laugh at how helpless he looked sitting on the ground.

"River, it's not funny!" the Doctor called as he sat and pouted, making no attempts at getting up yet.

Now she dismounted and held out her hand to him, smiling as she tried to comfort him. "No, you're right. It's not."

"See, this is the problem. Every time I try to tell you this, something always gets in the way!" He was ranting now, no doubt still shaken up about falling from the horse.

River glanced over at the horses, which were now casually grazing in the open field. They didn't seem to be going anywhere, so she led the Doctor over to a nearby tree where they could sit in the shade.

"Now," she said as soon as they were situated, "what is it that you need to tell me?"

By the way he was acting, she could see that this—whatever he wanted to say—was a big deal for him. As soon as she had said this, he sat up straighter, took hold of one of her hands, and looked directly into her eyes. For once he wasn't distracted, didn't look away blushing, and didn't waver.

"I don't say this near as often as I should, and I'm sorry for that. Things just have a habit of getting in the way. But I need to say it now." He cleared his throat, getting ready. "River Song, I . . . I love you."

River's eyes widened slightly at his words. Of course, she always knew it, but he had never really admitted it before, not in her timeline, at least. So hearing him say it now with such conviction rather surprised her.

She opened her mouth to answer, but he cut her off. "There's more. I know I don't always show up on time or as the right . . . me, but I can promise you that I will _always _come. I would never purposely leave you there alone. I hate it that I'm the reason you're there anyway. It's still relatively early for you, but just remember this when you're waiting and waiting for me to show. I could never forget you. I love you."

If River had been surprised before, she was absolutely shocked now. The Doctor very rarely said anything from his heart, and here he seemed to lay it all out on the table in front of her. In the stunned silence that followed, she was able to come up with what she considered to be a suitable answer. "I . . . love you too. And for the record, whether you said it or not, I always knew." Okay, it wasn't a great answer, but it was the best she could come up with right now.

"I wasn't sure. I just needed to say it." Only now did he realize that while he was talking he had inadvertently moved closer and closer to River, so that their faces were now only a few mere inches away.

River had been trying to come up with something more articulate to say, but at this point, she had a better idea. Closing the gap between them, she pressed her lips to his, showing instead of telling him how she felt.

Something he had said was still pulling at her mind, though, so she pulled back. "Doctor," she asked, making sure that he met her eyes, "what did you mean when you said that I would be waiting and waiting for you to show up in the future?"

"Ah," he said with a bop on her nose. "Spoilers."

**Okay, so maybe this wasn't the most up-beat story, but it was a little less angsty than usual. Reviews and suggestions are magical!**


	10. Iris

**Hello again, everyone! Sorry it took me so long to update. I meant to do that before going on vacation. But anyway, I'm back! So the idea for this chapter came from 'superster'. I know this song is really angsty, so I'm hoping this plot idea will help to tone it down a little. Ps: This takes place before TWORS.**

**Disclaimer: Doctor who is to BBC as the songs are to their respective owners. Analogy!**

**Song: Iris (Goo Goo Dolls) Suggested by: monkeymail**

The Doctor sat on his swing underneath the console, simply rocking back and forth. He'd already fixed everything that needed fixing, and even a few things that didn't. Amy and Rory were asleep, as it had been a long day, and the TARDIS's internal clock read "1:00 am".

He hated nights like these. Being a Time Lord, he needed significantly less sleep than his human companions, so he often found himself just sitting around waiting for the morning, for the next adventure. Sometimes he wished that he wasn't always the one instigating the adventures. He knew it was a rather childish thing to think, but right now he was wishing that some excitement would just pop into his life . . . .

_Pop! _

The Doctor jumped at the sound of a vortex manipulator bringing someone inside the TARDIS. Whoever it was, they were standing near the console, practically right over his head.

"Doctor?" a voice called. He cringed. Even this early in his time stream, he would know that voice anywhere. River Song had popped into his life once again. He had to give her credit, though, as she always did have particularly good timing.

For a moment, he considered remaining silent. After all, this woman seemed to be nothing but trouble. However, he knew he would never do that to her. He sighed and shook his head, thinking about how smug she would look if he ever admitted this to her.

Getting up from his swing, he made his way up the stairs to greet his guest. "Hello, River," he said, moving to stand in front of her.

At this, River cocked her head to the side, moving closer and closer as she did so. "Doctor, what's wrong with you?" she asked playfully. "Have you forgotten how we say hello?"

The Doctor gulped, taking a slight step back. "Uh . . . well, I . . . um, yes?" It was surely the wrong answer, but it was the best he could come up with under pressure.

River must have thought he was joking, because in this instant, she buried her fingers in his hair and pulled his lips to hers, not noticing how much his arms were flailing around beside him. She kissed him continuously, and eventually the Doctor clumsily brought his arms to rest on the small of her back.

But as soon as River pulled away, he immediately stuffed his hands into his pockets, taking another large step backwards and mumbling, "Ah, yes. I see." She could tell by the rosy color of his cheeks that this was fairly early for the Doctor.

Instinctively, she looked down at her vortex manipulator, cursing under her breath as she realized that she had gotten the coordinates wrong. Well it was too late now. She hadn't seen the Doctor in months, and she refused to go back to Stormcage. And it would seem rather unfair if she just left this Doctor and popped off to meet a later one. So she figured that this one would have to do. After all, he was the same person. He would have to become the future version sooner or later, and right now, River was planning on the sooner.

Moving quickly, she closed the gap between them in one swift stride. Seeing that the Doctor's hands were still thrust into his pockets, she took this as an opportunity to show him who she really was too him.

She didn't hold back. Wrapping her arms firmly around his neck, she crashed her lips into his as she continued to pull him closer and closer. Of course, she could feel the Doctor positively _trembling _at her touch, but she refused to let this faze her.

Once he got full control of his flailing arms again, though, the Doctor grabbed River's shoulders, pushing her away to keep her at arms' length. "River, what are you doing?" His voice wasn't angry or upset, but River could detect something more than confusion. Fear?

She hated when he was so young and naïve as to push her away like this. Normally, this would be the point where she would fight back the tears that threatened to break through her best defenses. But she wasn't sad this time. Well, okay, maybe she was, but the best way she could describe it was _tired. _She didn't care that he was young; she was just tired of him rejecting her. So now she kept up the calm, flirty façade for his sake. "What does it look like I'm doing?" she smiled, adding a wink to the end of the sentence.

For a moment, the Doctor actually looked as if he was about to smile. However, before he could, he shook his head to clear away these tempting thoughts. "No, no, no. River, I'm sorry. Maybe one day, but right now I . . . I just don't know who you are yet, or who you _will _be to me."

River shrugged her shoulders, causing the Doctor's hands to fall to his side once more. Seeing that he didn't look willing to put up a fight again, River cautiously moved closer to him so that she could whisper into his ear, "Then why don't you let me show you?"

At this, the Doctor squeezed his eyes shut tightly, swallowing the lump that had risen in his throat. _Well, _he thought, _I suppose it's my fault for wishing for a little more excitement_.

Now, he put one finger under River's chin lightly, bringing it to his lips with a sigh. "I suppose I'll have to learn some time." His expression became more playful now. "Please enlighten me, Professor Song."

From behind the doorframe, Amy slipped her phone back into her pocket with a smirk. "See?" she said to Rory. "I told you River would make him happier."

Rory crossed his arms, staring at his wife skeptically. "You do realize that she's our _daughter, _right? You can't just call her every time the Doctor gets bored."

Amy waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry about her. She doesn't look bothered at all."

**The Doctor says reviews are cool. Not as cool as fezzes, but almost.**


	11. Name

**Wow, sorry for the wait. I blame school. I know I have a lot of suggestions in the reviews, and I will be getting to them, but I just had to write this one because it fits so well. **

**Disclaimer: All songs and characters belong to their respective owners. I guess the writing is mine, though.**

**Song: Name (Goo Goo Dolls)**

"Paris! Yes, haven't been to Paris in a while." The Doctor was alone in the TARDIS, simply saying these words out of habit. It was strange not having anyone to travel with, not to mention incredibly lonely. But he had gotten used to it before, and he told himself that he would do it again. So if there was no one around to talk to, he would just have to talk to himself.

All of a sudden, a loud popping sound behind him made him jump. Turning around quickly to find out what it was, he saw River Song standing in a small wisp of smoke and wearing a vortex manipulator.

He was always glad to see her when she popped in unexpectedly like this, but particularly today. It was as if she knew exactly when he needed to see her. "Hello, Sweetie," she said with the usual smile.

Of course, he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing just how excited he was. "River Song. What brings you here?" he asked, slowly moving closer to her.

"Just thought I'd drop by. Maybe go on an adventure or two."

The Doctor's face brightened at this. "Well actually, I was on my way to Paris right now. Would you care to join me?"

"Of course. But first things first." At this, the grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him into a kiss that told him that she hadn't seen him in months. His hands immediately flew up to her hair, as he had long since learned to control his flailing arms.

Soon, though, she broke off, breathless. "Now what was that about Paris, Sweetie?"

He cleared his throat. "Yes. Paris. Right," he said, pulling the lever that would land them.

Walking over to the door, he held it open for her as they exited the TARDIS. They walked arm-in-arm until they reached a quaint little café on the corner. They sat down at a table for two, and River ordered a bottle of wine.

"So," the Doctor started, "any particular reason you decided to 'drop by' today?"

She shrugged. "Does there have to be a reason?"

"No." At this point the waiter brought the bottle of wine, pouring it into a glass for each of them. After clinking their glasses together, they both took a sip. However, the Doctor tried to spit his out as casually as possible. River couldn't help but laugh.

After a moment of silence, River finally gathered up the courage to say what was on her mind. "Well since you mention it, I guess there was a reason that I decided to visit you today."

"What is it?"

"Well," she began, not exactly sure how to put it in words without sounding childish. "Do you remember the day we were married?"

The Doctor immediately straightened up in his chair. "Yes, of course! Why?"

As she spoke, she didn't look at him directly. Rather, her eyes were focused on her hands, which fidgeted nervously in her lap. "When you whispered to look into your eyes, you told my parents that you had told me your name."

He wasn't exactly sure where this was going. "Yes. So?"

"So, we've been married for months, and I still don't know your name." Now she looked up at him, concern written on her features.

"Oh." He had known that this conversation would be coming, but he hadn't known it would be this soon. After all, their wedding had only been a few months ago for both of them. "River," he began, "You don't understand. This isn't just about a name. It's about a dangerous secret. If anyone knew it, the results could be enough to destroy the universe."

River's face contorted into what looked like confusion mixed with hurt. "Why would I tell anyone?"

The Doctor's mouth opened and closed several times now as he tried to decide how to answer this. "I . . . I don't know . . ."

She cut him off. "We're married now. You know my real name: Melody Pond. So why don't you trust me enough to tell me yours?"

He ran his hands over his face several times as he tried to figure out what to say. Leave it to River to want to know the only secret he could never tell. But she would know eventually. The first time he had met her she had told him his name. That was the moment that he knew who she would be.

"River," he said quietly, leaning over the table and looking around to make sure that no one around them was listening, "you have to promise to _never _tell anyone. This is the most important thing in the world."

She leaned forwards as well, her face inches away from his. "I promise."

Another glance around the café told the Doctor that the only other people there were paying them no attention. He squeezed his eyes shut tight now as he tried to end the conflict that was going on inside him. When he finally opened his eyes, though, there was determination in them. They were the eyes of someone who had lived for a thousand years, keeping a secret all the time. He couldn't take it anymore. A secret so big yet so insignificant was what weighed on his conscious, and he needed to tell someone. Now was as good as ever. And who better to tell than his wife?

Ever so slowly, he leaned just a little closer, causing her to do the same. He whispered it so quietly that River had to strain to hear, but once she did, her face lit up. The Doctor hadn't known what sort of reaction to expect from her, but this was definitely one of the best. For once, the smile on her face wasn't flirty or sarcastic or dangerous. It was one of pure joy.

Now she jumped up from her chair, pulling him up as well. Throwing her arms around his neck, she pulled him so close that he could barely breathe. However, he wasn't complaining. He wrapped his arms around her waist, letting go only to cup one hand around her face as he kissed her gently. Now the eyes of the others in the café were focused on them. They looked at the couple with a sort of envy. Even in the City of Love, this was a sight to behold.

**Please review. I'll try to be a little quicker with updating next time. But if you want to read something in the meantime, I suggest my fic, "Welcome". It's an ongoing story and gets updated a little more often. *shameless plug***


	12. Everything

**I'm back! Sorry it's taken so long. Lately, I've been updating my other story, "Welcome", but after last night's episode, I had to update this one. I promise not to give any spoilers, though.**

**Disclaimer: Doctor Who belongs to the Beebs, and all songs have their own separate owners.**

**Song: Everything (Michael Buble) Requested by: 10Blue10**

"Can't we go somewhere fun this time?" River complained, interrupting the Doctor's rant about what sounded like another adventure that involved a lot of running. Then again, this was how all of their adventures ended.

Amy and Rory were off in their rooms, asleep. Lately, the Doctor had been visiting River in Stormcage almost every night, and every night they had wound up running for their lives from one thing or another. River did love trips like these every once in a while, but they'd just been too frequent lately. As much as she loved seeing the Doctor every night, even _she _needed a break sometimes.

"Fun?" the Doctor asked, looking surprised. "How is meeting the ambassador of an alien race _not _fun?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, sweetie, maybe it's because you always do something to upset whoever we're supposed to meet. And if it's alright with you, I'd rather not do something life-threatening today."

"Fine," the Doctor huffed, crossing his arms like a pouty child. "I don't suppose _you _have any better ideas?"

At this point, a smile spread across River's face that was too crooked not to mean trouble. "Actually, I thought we might go dancing."

"D-dancing?" the Doctor stuttered, looking positively terrified. "Uh . . . sorry, but I only dance at weddings," he answered, trying to find some way out.

"Well that's good," River countered, "because there's bound to be a wedding going on somewhere throughout time and space."

The Doctor gulped, knowing he'd been defeated. He watched as River piloted the TARDIS to the twenty-first century, landing it outside of some random ballroom that happened to be hosting a wedding party. "Wait, River, we can't just crash this party!" the Doctor tried again.

"Of course we can, sweetie," River said happily, grabbing his hand and practically dragging him through the door.

They quietly walked in among other latecomers, doing their best to blend in. They must have been successful, too, as no one questioned their presence. The minute they laid eyes on the interior of the ballroom, they were taken aback by its intricate beauty. Ornate carvings covered the walls; dazzling chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A band stood in the far corner of the room, filling it with bright, cheerful tunes.

River looked over at the Doctor, who still looked rather afraid to be there. She couldn't help but laugh at his nervous expression. "Oh, all right. If you don't want to dance, then maybe we'll just sit at those tables over there until you feel up to it," she said, leading him over to one of the many finely-decorated tables that lined the outside of the room. The Doctor followed her gratefully.

As soon as they sat down, though, the song changed. All the other people that had been sitting at the tables rushed over to the dance floor. The new song was so bright and fast that no one could resist dancing to it. Now when River glanced at the Doctor she noticed that his foot was tapping. "Sweetie, we can go dance now, if you'd like," she said, trying to coax him up.

"Maybe just for this song," he answered, taking her hand as they walked to the middle of the floor.

As soon as they found an open space, the Doctor took River's hands and began to dance as if he were a professional, spinning her around to the beat of the song. Needless to say, River was rather surprised, but she happily gave into his lead, allowing him to twirl her this way and that as other couples stopped to watch the two of them.

Finally, though the song ended, turning into a love song. River turned to go back to their table, but the Doctor caught her hand, causing her to pause. "Maybe just one more," he said. River allowed herself to smile at this.

Now he wrapped his arms around her waist as she placed hers around his neck. The couple began to sway slowly back and forth, turning ever so slightly. "Where did you learn to dance like that?" River asked, not even bothering to hide how impressed she was.

He shrugged. "After a thousand years, I must have picked it up sometime."

River was surprised at how short this response was. After all, he usually loved to go on and on about anything or nothing in particular. However, right now he looked as if he was perfectly content to just stay silent for a moment. As they swayed to the music, the Doctor couldn't help but focus on the words of the song: _"You're every line, you're every word, you're everything."_

As he gazed down at River, he began to notice how perfectly these lines fit. "It's true, you know," he said.

"What's true?"

"The words in the song. Just listen." River was silent a moment as she listened to the chorus. As soon as the line had been sung, he felt the need to reiterate it. "River, you are everything."

River felt a lump rise in her throat. She loved it when the Doctor said things like this, but then again, she knew there would come a time when he wouldn't even know who she was. This thought made the moment bittersweet for her, and she hated how wrong that was. She felt she should be unbearably happy, just as every girl was when told something like this. Now she made her best attempt to shove down her memories, forgetting for once that they were moving in opposite directions. She didn't reply to him, but instead rested her head on his chest, where he couldn't see the tears that were slowly creeping into her eyes, the tears she would never let fall.

As she did so, she felt the Doctor's grip tighten around her waist, pulling her closer. He rested his head on top of hers, planting a gentle kiss into her hair. Little did they know, the song had changed about a minute ago to a jumpy, fast-paced dance number. Still, they remained standing like that in the middle of the floor, the love song playing over and over in their heads.

**Reviews are cool. The Doctor would definitely agree.**


	13. Niki FM

**So I've decided to do a little bit of alternating between suggestions and songs that I come up with. However, I will try to get to all the suggestions eventually. Oh, and thanks to TATM, a lot of these are going to be slightly AU now.**

**Disclaimer: Songs and Doctor Who are not mine.**

**Song: Niki FM (Hawthorne Heights)**

River was exhausted. She'd been out of prison for only a week now, and already she had been hard at work looking for a job. Today, she had been searching for a school in need of an archaeology professor. However, just as expected, she hadn't had much luck.

Having nowhere else to go, she had been staying with her parents since her pardon. They were only too eager to allow her to stay with them, as they had always dreamed of raising their daughter. Still, River felt as though she ought to be pulling her own weight. That was one of the main reasons she had been searching for a job.

Now, it was late at night. The Ponds had gone to sleep a couple of hours before, while River had been up searching the internet. As she clicked through page after page of useless information, she could feel her eyes growing tired, begging her for sleep. But she didn't want to give in just yet. Maybe just another hour or two . . . .

River shook her head, hoping to clear the drowsiness from her mind. Half an hour had already passed by with nothing to show for it other than almost falling asleep again. This was getting ridiculous. Finally, she decided to call it a night. She shut the old laptop her parents had given to her and turned off the lights, making her way to the bed.

She settled into the warm covers, now allowing sleep to find her. Just as she entered the dark realm between dreams and reality, she was woken by a small _click_. She didn't open her eyes, only listened half-consciously in case the noise came again. _Click_. Now her eyes snapped open, and she sat bolt upright in bed. The next time this sound came, she would be alert and able to find its source.

However, ten minutes later, the sound still hadn't come again. Maybe it was just her imagination. After all, she'd had a long day. Her mind was probably just playing tricks on her.

River settled back in to her covers, trying to forget the little clicking noises she had heard. Before she could even close her eyes, though, a new sound greeted her. Soft music graced her ears, and she couldn't help but switch the light on and look around the room for its source. Her computer was off, there was nothing under the bed, and she didn't even _own _a radio. So then where was it coming from?

_Click. _River's head whirled around to the window at the foot of her bed. Slowly, she walked toward it, looking out before actually deciding to open it. What she saw brought an instant smile to her face. But she didn't open the window just yet.

Quickly, she pulled a mirror out of her dresser, adjusting her hair and applying lipstick so as to look as perfect as she could. Once her reflection was satisfactory, River opened the window. Outside, the Doctor stared up at her from the ground a story below. In one hand he held a small portable radio, which was streaming gentle music through the window. In the other, he held the small pebble he had been throwing to get her attention.

"Hello, sweetie," he called just over a whisper.

River giggled. "This really is a nice surprise, but you might want to turn that off before you wake my parents. Rory wasn't kidding about that centurion sword." Smiling, the Doctor switched off the radio. "What are you still doing down there?" River called.

He motioned behind him to where the TARDIS was parked. "I thought you might be getting a little restless here. How would you like to go on a few adventures? I can have you back in five minutes," he said, smirking.

"You know I always love to, dear, but it's been a rather long day. Maybe in the morning."

The Doctor wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. He had been fairly certain that River would jump at the opportunity to travel with him for a little while. "Oh. Okay. Well then . . . I guess I'll just be back in the morning," he said, turning to head back to the TARDIS.

"Oi! Where do you think you're going?" she called.

When he turned around his face looked even more confused than it had just a moment ago. "I thought you said you wanted me to come back in the morning!"

River couldn't help but smile amusedly at his expression. "I said we could go on adventures in the morning. I never said I wanted you to leave."

"Oh," the Doctor said, his face lighting up. "Well in that case, I'll be right there," he added, trying to look smooth.

"Wait!" River called after him. "If you go in through there, then you'll wake up my parents."

This time, the Doctor threw his hands up in frustration. "Maybe you should just tell me what you want me to do, then!" River smirked, glancing down at the tangled vines that ran up the side of the house. "Oh no. River, you can't be serious," he whined. However, her expression remained the same. The Doctor groaned. "Okay, fine! But you owe me big time for this!"

Cautiously, he grabbed on to one of the vines, tugging on it to make sure it would hold. After convincing himself that these vines were in fact strong enough, he began to slowly climb them as if they were a rope ladder. River couldn't help but laugh at the sight of this man—who always looked like he was made of jelly—as he made his way up the wall.

Finally, he was close enough to the window that River could reach out her hand and grab hold of his. He swung his other hand onto the windowsill, hoisting himself into her room and landing in a clumsy heap on the floor.

"_Shh!_" River whispered, helping him to his feet. "Would you mind keeping it down?"

"Sorry if my falling caused too much noise," the Doctor retorted sarcastically as he straightened his tweed.

The pouty look on his face was too much. River grabbed his braces and pulled him into a long, sweet kiss. When she let go, he just stood there, looking perplexed. "Well that was . . . unexpected," he said.

"You're welcome," River smirked. "Now if you don't mind, I've had a long day, and I was hoping to get some sleep sometime tonight," she said, walking over to switch the light off once more.

"Of course, of course," the Doctor answered, kicking off his shoes and shrugging out of his jacket before flopping onto her bed.

"And what exactly do you think you're doing?" River asked, crossing her arms. "You know that bed's only big enough for one, right?"

"Well then, I guess you'll just have to find another one," the Doctor said, trying (but failing) to look as serious as possible.

"Oh, shut up," River laughed. "If you're not going to move, then I suppose I'll just have to lie on top of you," she said, doing just that.

Even in the dark River could see the Doctor's cheeks turn bright red, just as they always did. "Fine with me," he finally managed to answer. She could feel his strong arms wrap around her and pull her close to him as she drifted off to sleep once more. This time, there came no clicking noises and no music, only the Doctor's slow, rhythmic breathing and the beating of both his hearts.

She couldn't fully recognize that she had fallen asleep until she awoke to a startled gasp. The first thing she saw as she opened her eyes to the morning light was Rory standing in the doorway. Smiling guiltily, she glanced down at the Doctor. "I think now would be a good time for those adventures."

**Please review! Song suggestions are welcome, too.**


	14. Chasing Cars

**I'm back! Sorry for the long breaks, but my other story was getting a little too far behind. Anyway, I really wanted to do this song, but I wasn't exactly sure how much could be done, so . . . this might be interesting. Oh, and this is pre-TATM for River, but a fairly current Doctor.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Nothing's mine. Well, except the writing. I guess that's mine.**

**Song: Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol) Suggested by: 'UnlimitedDream90'**

"Here we are," the Doctor said happily, opening the TARDIS doors with a grand flourish before stepping aside to let River exit before him.

After taking one step out, River stopped and looked around her in confusion. "Doctor, my geography may be a little rusty, but I'm fairly certain this isn't the beach." She couldn't keep the slight tone of annoyance out of her voice. She'd been begging him to take her to the beach for at least a month. Somehow, though, he always seemed to get distracted. Today was supposed to be the day he finally gave in. However, as she looked out at the rolling hills and meadows that stretched as far as she could see, she knew that the beach would have to wait for another day.

The Doctor stepped outside as well, putting on his best surprised face. "Well that's strange. I was sure I put in the coordinates for the coast of California. Well," he sighed, "I guess we'll just have to make the best of this, then." As soon as he said this, he grabbed the picnic basket that had been placed just inside the door of the TARDIS.

River smirked. "You're going to have to take me sometime," she said. "You can't fake getting lost every time."

The Doctor did his best to look offended, but ended up looking more like a gaping fish. "Faking? Me? I don't know what you're talking about!"

She rolled her eyes, but let the subject drop. As they sat down in the grass, the Doctor opened the basket, pulling out a pack of jammy dodgers and a bottle of wine. River couldn't help but chuckle. "Is this really it?"

"Um . . . yes?" But the confused expression on his face just made River laugh even more. His cheeks turned bright red, but he couldn't help but smile as he poured her a glass of wine. After all, he loved listening to her laugh. To him, it was sweeter than any music.

River couldn't help but notice that he also poured a glass for himself. "Sweetie, you don't even like wine."

"Of course I do," he said, waving a hand dismissively as he took a sip. She smiled at him as he forced down a mouthful of what he thought was the most disgusting thing he'd ever tasted.

For a while they just sat there and talked. They talked about all of their recent adventures, life in Stormcage, and of course, River asked about her parents, at which time the Doctor gave a hasty reply before changing the subject.

Eventually, though, River got restless. "Come on," she told the Doctor, taking his hand and pointing to a tall hill not too far away. "I'll race you to the top."

"You're on!" the Doctor said, but before he could start, River grabbed his head and slammed his lips to hers, taking off after they parted. He shook his head, trying to clear it before running to follow her. "Hey," he called, "that's cheating!"

River was fast, but he practically ran for a living. Even though she had taken a head start, by the time they reached the top of the hill, he was right behind her. In fact, she hadn't even begun to celebrate her victory before he grabbed her around the waste and fell to the ground, pulling her on top of him.

"I win," she said once she had finally caught her breath enough to stop laughing.

"I think it was a tie," he said, eliciting another eye roll from her. "Besides, you cheated."

Now it was River's turn to feign surprise. "I was just wishing you good luck." At this, she realized that she was still lying on top of the Doctor, so she moved to lie beside him instead.

Now they both stared silently up at the clouds that were floating lazily across the sky overhead. River shut her eyes, relishing the feeling of the sun's warmth against her skin. The Doctor turned his head to look at her. The sun was bouncing off her curls, making them glow like a halo around her head. Since her eyes were shut, he took this opportunity to memorize every feature of her face so that he would never forget a thing. Slowly, he reached out to grab her hand, not taking his eyes off her for a moment.

At first, River didn't react when he took her hand, leading him to wonder if she had fallen asleep. Soon, though, she turned her head and opened her eyes to look at him. The Doctor's first reaction was to feel embarrassed that he had been caught staring at her. However, he dismissed this thought as silly and instead went to work memorizing her eyes, unaware that she was doing the same.

Soon the sun began to set on the horizon, making way for the stars. And there were _so many _stars, more than probably anywhere else on Earth. The Doctor wrapped his arm around River, and she nestled into his chest, watching the stars overhead as they twinkled. Slowly, he tilted his head so that he caught her attention, and drew her lips to his. It was a slow kiss that started out gently before becoming hungry. The Doctor grabbed her waist and pulled her on top of him again, but she broke apart.

"Not tonight," she whispered. He nodded in understanding. This was one of the few rare moments of their lives when everything was perfect, even though they weren't exactly linear. Tonight, though, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were there, in each other's arms for a little while. For once, the world wasn't ending and the stars were shining down as if everything was perfect in the world. Of course, it wasn't, and both of them knew that. But tonight it was easy to pretend.

**Review? Why, thank you, I'd love one! Seriously, your reviews make my day.**


	15. Baby Please Come Home

**Welcome to the Christmas special chapter! Please note that the artist for this song isn't the original, but it is my favorite version, so I encourage you to go take a listen. It is, in fact, a Christmas song!**

**Song: Baby Please Come Home (Anberlin)**

River trudged through the snow as she made her way back to the lodge that she had been staying in. Several weeks ago she had heard rumors of something out of the ordinary in this area, so naturally she had to investigate. The locals had called it a yeti, but so far all she had found were deserted caves and deep snow. She had driven up here in a rented snowmobile, but it had long since broken down, leaving her to trudge home through a storm that was on the verge of becoming a blizzard.

She was absolutely miserable. This whole expedition was looking like a waste of time. Finally, though, she scaled a snow bank to see the warm, inviting lights of the lodge shining not far away. River sighed with relief as she ventured toward it.

In about ten minutes she was in the comfort of the warm lodge. There seemed to be a lot of commotion coming from one of the main rooms, so as she was walking by on the way to her room, she decided to take a peek. Inside, people were laughing and dancing, all having a good time. A quick look at the sign outside of the door confirmed that this was the lodge's annual Christmas party. At first, River was slightly surprised at herself. After all, she hadn't known it was Christmas here. She didn't usually pay attention to holidays unless she wanted to celebrate for a specific reason. When you can travel to any day at any time, holidays don't seem as extraordinary.

But the more she looked at the faces of all the happy people in the room, the more she realized that she hadn't had a proper holiday in quite a long time. At this, she made the decision that she would join the party and at least try to have some fun. First, though, she went to her room to change into something more suitable for a party. Even when she was on an expedition like this, River Song would always pack a dress, just in case.

Before walking down to the party, River paused in front of the full-length mirror next to the door. She sighed as she stared at her reflection. There was something wrong. There was something missing. Or, rather, there was some_one_ missing. Even though she had just discovered it was Christmas only minutes before, she couldn't help but feel the loneliness creeping up on her. What was the point in celebrating if you had no one to celebrate with?

All of a sudden, she didn't feel like partying anymore. Instead, she just sat down at the foot of her bed and began to plan her expedition for the next day. She had closed the curtains the previous day after discovering that the windows had an awful draft, but she could still hear the wind every time it swept past the lodge, making a _whoosh_ing sound. Every time this happened, the curtains would rustle slightly, catching the air that flowed through the drafty windows.

Now, though, the curtains seemed to be moving constantly with the wind from the storm outside. River paid no attention to it, though, as she was focused on her expedition, trying her hardest not to think about the holiday. However, this was getting progressively harder, considering the party music was now audible through the walls of her room. Suddenly, though the _whoosh_ing became louder, and the curtains flew inward like there were no windows behind them at all. As a few snowflakes flew into her room, River looked up to see what could have caused such a gust.

There, shivering on the windowsill, was the Doctor, the TARDIS parked several feet behind him. "C-can I come in?" he asked.

"Of course!" River said, rushing forward to help him in and close the window behind him. After sitting him down next to her on the foot of the bed, she asked, "How did you know to come here?"

The Doctor smiled. "It's Christmas. You don't think I'd let you be alone on Christmas, do you?"

"But how did you _know _that I just happened to travel somewhere at Christmas. It's not like I was aiming for it or anything."

He shifted uncomfortably, "Lucky guess?" She fixed him with a look of disbelief before he finally said, "Okay, okay, I've sort of been… keeping an eye on you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Now he was blushing, looking down at his hands with a guilty smile. "Last time I saw you I put a tracking device on your vortex manipulator while you were asleep." He paused for a moment, chuckling at her mock-anger. "When I saw that it was Christmas here—where you were—I-well, I couldn't help but visit."

For a moment River wasn't sure whether to scold him for tracking her every move or just be glad that he was here. Eventually, she decided on the latter. It was Christmas, after all. "Oh, you beautiful idiot!" she said, wrapping her arms around him and burrowing her face into his chest.

"Oh-well… okay!" the Doctor said, placing his arms around her. He had been expecting her to slap him, but this was a welcome surprise. They sat there in silence for a moment before he said, "Hang on, is that _music_?"

"Yes, they're having a Christmas party down the hall. That's why I'm dressed like this," River said, motioning to her apparel. "I was thinking about going, but then I decided against it. There's no point in going by myself."

The Doctor's face brightened as he jumped up. "Well, now you don't have to!"

"What?" River asked. "You really want to go to some silly party?"

"Of course I do! It's Christmas!" At this he held out his hand to her. "What do you say?"

After thinking for a moment, she smiled and nodded, taking his hand and allowing him to escort her to the party. Surprisingly, it was a little less crowded than when she had peeked in earlier. Still, the music was louder, even if it was slower.

The Doctor wasted no time in pulling her onto the dance floor as he placed his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck. As the songs came and went, River noticed that they had been moving closer and closer to the center of the floor. Finally, when they reached it, River discovered why.

The Doctor leaned in close to her until his face was less than an inch away from hers. "Look up," he whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the music.

As she glanced up, she noticed a tuft of green hanging from the tip of the disco ball that had been illuminating the room. She recognized it at once: mistletoe. "What a coincidence," River laughed.

He hadn't moved since he'd whispered to her, his face still right in front of hers. She closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his as they stopped their rhythmic sway to comply with the rules of the mistletoe. They stayed like that for as long as they could before a man dancing with a girl beside them cleared his throat, indicating that he would like a turn. The Doctor smiled and blushed at they moved aside, clearing the middle of the floor.

They began to dance again, River resting her head on the Doctor's shoulder. After a while, he leaned down to whisper something into her ear. "Merry Christmas."

Soon all the other dancers had gone, leaving them alone. But they didn't care, nor did they stop. In fact, they didn't decide to go back to River's room until the music was turned off and they were asked to leave.

The exhausted pair laughed as they walked back to the room, hand-in-hand. When they walked through the door, though, River's expression became slightly more serious. "Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," all humor was gone from her face now.

"For what?" he asked.

"For coming for Christmas."

He laughed at this, catching her slightly by surprise. "Oh, my River Song," he said, pulling her closer to him, "no one should ever be alone on Christmas."

**Merry Christmas (or happy holidays)! Your spectacular reviews would be the best gift in the world!**


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